Completion

John 17 v 4"I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do" NIV

Jesus prays in John 17 this statement of fact when he is with the disciples, before he went to the cross.  It seems Jesus had a sense of completion of at least one stage of God's work for him at that time.  It was like he was giving his own eulogy before his departure. And he had succeeded in completion.

I believe that's a word for myself and others right now- completion.

If we are thinking about giving something up, ask yourself- have I really completed this?

There is work God has given us to do- and there is a point of completion God has in mind for each of those areas.

We get so tired sometimes that it seems something has to go out of our schedule- maybe the most difficult thing is the most tempting to let go of- God might be releasing you- but pray for wisdom...

I had realized there was an area of ministry I was involved in I was starting to dread fronting up for and I asked God why.  He said that the enemy was trying to get me to give up so I would miss out on seeing the results that were coming.

I was taking communion and I was so weary and desperate to connect with Jesus.  I was tired physically, from fending off guilt I knew I don't have to carry, and from just putting one foot after another in every aspect of life.
I found myself thinking what kind of endurance and energy it took for Jesus to go through everything, the cross, for us.

Joy is coming

In Hebrews chapter 12 the bible says of Jesus; that "for the joy set before him he endured the cross".  What joy is before you right now that can help you to endure?  Ask God to help you see and focus on that...

The work within the work

James 1 v 4
"Let this endurance complete its work so that you may be fully mature, complete, and lacking in nothing". CEB

The endurance that is required for sustained difficulty has a purpose in itself.  I wonder why what I'm hoping for hasn't happened yet and this could be the answer: the endurance hasn't finished it's work.  We have to let the endurance complete it's work in us.  The endurance is work in itself.  God is working through the endurance to give us more than just the prize at the end but a wealth of maturity.  Then we ourselves get a prize of becoming "complete" people with all the character God wants to give us.